


A Jotun Wedding

by theotherprecious



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, References to Norse Religion & Lore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2014-09-21
Packaged: 2018-02-11 14:55:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2072517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theotherprecious/pseuds/theotherprecious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the victory against Malekith, Loki is readmitted to Asgard by Odin, albeit somewhat reluctantly. However, he has not much time to reaccommodate as Thor's hammer Mjöllnir is stolen by the Frost Giants and only Loki has the power to recover it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story mixes up the Marvel version with the original Old Nordic myth, namely the Þrymskviða.  
> I took some liberties to adapt it. Thus, the mythological Loki's mother Laufey/Val is not described as a Vanr, but there ist not much said about her. The same applies to Angrboða. However, as the Vanir are the great masters of magic in Norse mythology, I thought it quite appropriate for the story.  
> Thrym is also not a brother of Loki's in the myth, but he appears in the Þrymskviða and I chose to keep him in the story instead of exchanging him against Helblindi or Byleistr.

It was a small gathering that had assembled beneath the Allfather’s High Seat Hlidskialf with only the closest retainers allowed to attend. 

Looking up to the throne, Loki remembered the last times he had stood in this place. As humiliating as both had been – witnessing Thor’s ascent to the throne and being sentenced to a life in the dungeon – he did not feel all that different now. The readmission of a fallen son of Asgard to the royal court should have been a statelier event, but it almost seemed as if Odin was reluctant to make it widely known. Loki, in turn, was convinced he had done them all a favour by extending Thor’s exile on Earth thus giving him an opportunity to overthink his haughtiness and turn into an honourable king of Asgard. Thor himself was more than content with the way things had gone and his beloved mortal was not the only reason. He had not only redeemed himself in his father’s eyes but even earned Odin’s respect and love. So, Loki thought sadly amused, he had inadvertently contributed to the flourishing of Asgard. Only no one had realised apart from Thor maybe. However, by now, Loki had resigned himself to the fact that he would never get the respect he thought he deserved. And unlike his once-brother, he had felt the satisfaction of sitting on the throne, ephemeral as it had been. Lowering his gaze again, he let it linger on the place where Frigga, his mother as he still called her in his mind, would always have stood in ceremonies, and he met Thor’s eyes finding a mirror of his own pain in them. Loki’s lips twitched in the slightest hint of a sad smile. 

All heads went up as Odin stood up thrusting his spear Gungnir on the floor as if calling for silence although nobody had been speaking. Wearing his usual inscrutable mien, he let his gaze wander over those standing at his feet. Loki could literally see the slight unease that swept over the small assembly. He knew the feeling all too well. You could know the ruler of Asgard for an eternity and still not get over it, and since his trial and captivity, it had become even more oppressive. Almost a month had gone by after their victory over the Dark Elves, but Loki was still not certain about Odin’s feelings about him. He had been allowed to return to his former abode Galdsviδrinnshallir at least, but he felt rather tolerated in Asgard than welcome. Of course, it was better than the remainder of his life in the dungeons, amid the scum of the Nine Worlds from which he was only distinguished by his individual cell that was furnished somewhat more princely. It had felt more like mockery than true care, though. What puzzled Loki most was that Odin was not outraged that he had hidden his survival for quite a while, sneaking about in various guises even taking on the Allfather’s own appearance. Loki had expected him to take offence at that, but nothing had happened. In fact, Odin had not spoken much to him. Had he noticed nothing? Loki had difficulties imagining that. Nothing could elude the mighty king of Asgard and none but Heimdall could match his perception. While he had every reason to avoid Odin’s anger, Loki was nevertheless disappointed by the lack of a reaction. He had fought hard against his desire to wreak some mischief just to awaken Odin’s fury. 

A wave from the Allfather beckoned him closer to the steps. He was tempted to make a mocking bow, but managed to refrain from it. Odin’s voice betrayed no emotion when he began to speak: 

“For a long time, I have looked upon you as my son. These days are gone. You cannot regain that place in my heart. However, you may take back your place among the highborn of Asgard and call these halls your home again as long as you respect the laws of our realm to maintain the peace, as long as you abstain from any nefarious actions against the rightful king of Asgard. Will you do that?” 

Loki felt as if he was pierced by Odin’s eyes, but it did not impress him. He stepped even closer to the steps leading to the dais, returning the Allfather’s stare. 

“I will. I will do everything to assure Asgard’s wealth and peace”, Loki replied, smiling inwardly. 

Thus, he did not even need to lie. Thor’s reluctance to take the throne left Odin bereft of a suitable successor and accordingly, he could not give a concrete king apart from himself to which Loki had to pledge his loyalty. Who was to be Asgard’s rightful future ruler was still to be decided, and claims were a matter of interpretation, anyway. Loki would break no oath if he found a way to assert his own and the wealth and peace of his kingdom were his concerns as well. 

Odin nodded. “Pledge your loyalty to me and the cause of Asgard, then. Come for…” 

The Allfather’s head shot up, his ears straining to hear some far away sound, and suddenly, Loki felt the alien presence as well, a cold that froze his body but at the same time made his blood rush. It seemed strangely familiar. 

“Frost Giants”, Odin whispered. 

Thor swung around. “What? Again?” 

Suddenly, all eyes were on Loki. He shrugged, smiling apologetically. >p>“I have nothing to do with it. Why would I want to delay my return? I am as shaken as you!” 

“They are not in the vault”, Odin said. “They are here, close by, in our very residence!” 

“How many?” Thor asked. 

“Only a few, half a dozen.” 

“Hurry then, my friends!" the Thunderer shouted and was already darting to his private chambers in his father’s palace where he had left his hammer Mjöllnir. 

The others followed along with a squad of the guards lining the chamber’s walls. 

The corridors were empty and calm. Nothing hinted at the hostile presence. Before them a sharp turn to the left let to the heart of the palace. The entrance to Thor’s chambers was located immediately behind and even before it came into view, Loki noticed that something was amiss. He strained his senses, tried to focus as best he could. The power of Mjöllnir always filled the air around it with a kind of vibration like a low humming. Even walls could not contain it. Now, however, it was not perceivable. The others too shot each other bewildered looks. Turning, they reached the doors. The heavy oaken leafs had been torn from their hinges, lying broken on the sides of the entrance. The air was filled with a frosty coolness and the walls covered in ice rivulets. 

They entered the room and gathered around the anvil-like pedestal of black granite set in front of the large window. Mjöllnir was no weapon to carry around on your belt like a sword. Generally, a look into Thor’s room would be enough to tell whether he was in the Palace, because his hammer would then be waiting on its pedestal. Now, however, it was bare, with no trace of Thor`s companion. 

Thor stared at the empty place, incredulous. 

“They…they have taken Mjöllnir”, he muttered as if he must convince himself of what had happened. 

Seeing him so despaired reminded Loki of his visit to the SHIELD camp on Midgard during Thor’s exile. Contrary to then, it did not give him the same satisfaction now. In fact, he could not help feeling a bit of compassion for Thor. There was something in him that was not ready to give up on him, longing to battle at his side once more. For all his gloating over the superiority and honour of his fighting style, Thor had never rejected a little sorcerous support. It had often enough saved them. Their teaming-up against Malekith had kindled a faint hope in Loki that the rift between them was not as profound as it had seemed at first. Was this another opportunity? 

The moment did not last long though, because Thor quickly regained his composure. Here and now, he was not some mere human devoid of his powers, after all. He straightened, looking at his friends. 

“We must get it back! Now! Will you accompany me to Jotunheim once more?” 

“Hold on!” Odin interrupted him. 

“Again, father? I am no longer the stupid ruffian I once was! I won’t do more damage than necessary, but this time, it was the Frost Giants who attacked us, who have stolen from us. I will just get back what is mine.” “You forget that you almost lost against them back then and it was only your hammer that saved you from being slain immediately. You cannot best them with a handful of warriors. You would need an army. However, I would rather not start another war. There has been too much bloodshed recently.” 

“And what would you have me do? Shall I sit around and let all the Nine Worlds laugh at me?” 

“How could they even take Mjöllnir?” Hogun wondered. “None but Thor and you, Allfather, can lift it.” 

“Heimdall can, too”, Thor remarked, “but how they did it makes no matter, anyway. We have to do something about it!” 

“First, we have to think”, Odin said. “There may be a way of negotiating with the Jotuns. They might even have taken Mjöllnir for a purpose, to bargain.” 

“Yes”, Thor sneered, “I can imagine what that would be about! Do you really think of exchanging their power, the Spirits of Winter, against Mjöllnir?” 

“Of course not! But we have to find a safe way.” 

“Let me try it!” 

All turned towards Loki who in turn was stunned that the furious opposition he had expected from Odin did not come. The Allfather only stared at him, his lone eye even more piercing than usually. 

“We have to consider this”, he said then, surprising them all even more. “Come back to the throne hall.”


	2. Chapter 2

“What exactly do you think you can achieve?” Sif asked sullenly. “As the Allfather said, a whole army would struggle to overcome these Frost Giants. Why would you succeed where mighty warriors have failed?”

“Because I am not coming to them as a warrior. I will use the weapons I handle best: guile and deceit. Thus, I may be the only one able to do this! The Frost Giants have bargained with me before. I will return to renew our alliance and start another attempt to win me the throne of Asgard." 

"No!" Sif protested. 

Loki rolled his eyes. "Be quiet! It is just pretence. Laufey liked the idea. Thus, I will win their trust and find a way to get Mjöllnir back." 

"Only, you killed Laufey. Not the best foundation for an alliance with his people." 

"His entire retinue was killed. None returned. They don`t know it unless you told them." 

He looked to Odin. “Just let me try, if only to find out what they are about!” 

“I cannot say you have my blessing but you have my leave. Do it! After all, it was you who showed the Jotuns the way into Asgard in the first place. It is only right that you atone for it. We will make up a plan upon your return.” 

Sif opened her mouth to protest but thought better of it. There was no contradicting the Allfather and his tone did not brook any argument. 

“Leave now!” he commanded. 

All departed visibly unsatisfied. Loki was the last to follow them when he heard the Allfather’s voice. 

“Not you! I have to speak with you, Loki.” 

Loki stopped and turning around made his way back to the dais. Odin’s inscrutable eye was on him. 

“You think I did not notice your sneaking around these past weeks, do you? But I did. I even know that you took my likeness to sound Thor out about his feelings about your death. No”, he stifled Loki’s attempt to protest, “do not deny it! However, you have nothing to fear. I am not angry about it. Such boyish capers are no threat to the realm.” 

Loki looked at him defiantly. “Why, I could not be sure how you would receive my action. I admit I had hoped my death would win me your clemency, because, honestly, I was all but certain that you would readmit me after helping Thor overcome the Dark Elves. After all, we had disregarded your orders.” 

Odin surprised him with a languid shrug. 

“And Thor himself had left no doubt that he would return me to my cell. I saw this as the only way to escape from prison, but I assure you, I never meant to harm him and I will do everything in my power to help him get Mjöllnir back.” 

“And what about the throne?” “What throne?” 

Odin lowered his eye on the seat underneath him. “This throne, the throne of Asgard. Don’t tell me you do no longer lust for it!” 

“Well, Thor does not want it anyway, does he? And he is not the only one who has changed and learned. If only you gave me a chance to prove my ability to rule!” 

“How? By betraying and cheating everyone around you?” 

“You have travelled in disguises yourself, arbitrarily taken sides in battles. How is that better than what I have done? I could have vanquished the Frost Giants without much bloodshed. I could have ended this long ago if only you had let me destroy this frozen nightmare and its inhabitants!” 

“Your people, nevertheless.” 

“They cast me out!” Loki yelled. “They left me to die. An innocent child, in your very own words. I am nothing like them. You severed any link that could have tied me to that world, you wanted to make me one of yours and you almost succeeded.” 

“You could still be one of us. I never cast you out.” 

“Oh!” Loki`s laugh was harsh. “No, you preferred to lock me up in the dungeons so you could control and use me for your schemes as you had planned from the very beginning.” 

"Mind your words! My lenience is not infinite. Still, I am ready to let you live among us if you prove yourself worthy of it. I give you one last chance to redeem yourself. Do not squander it! There won’t be another. Go now!” 

***

The huge sword in both hands, Heimdall stood like a statue as Loki reined in his horse in front of the Bifröst, slid from the animal’s back and sent it back to the palace. He approached the entrance to the sphere from which the mechanism was steered. For a moment, Loki thought the warden of the bridge would completely ignore him, when Heimdall finally addressed him. 

“What are you up to now, deceiver?” 

“I have Odin’s leave to go, his order even. This is a mission of sorts.” 

“So he made you his son again?” 

“No, but this has nothing to do with it. I am not his son; that is a fact. There is no sense in pretending. I have accepted that.” 

“Have you now? I think that is as much pretence. But be that as it may. I will watch out for you even if you veil yourself from me. I can see all those shadows that are still in your heart. If I have the least reason to see Asgard in danger I will take the necessary steps.” 

Loki shot him a furious glance. 

“Just in case you haven’t realised: I am currently the only one able to save this damn place you value so much! I have done so before but no one wanted to see my deeds. You are lucky though, I left my grudges behind. Now, open the Bifröst and let me pass!” 

Heimdall stared at him for a little longer; then, he turned and set to opening the bridge. 

“I am not looking forward to your return”, he said when Loki strode past him. 

“I will not come back for you anyway.” 

Heimdall slid the blade in the metal sheath to trigger the rotation of the sphere that would open the portal to Jotunheim. Loki stepped in front of the whirling tunnel that began to form and was sucked in its tow. 

Now there is no going back, he thought as he flew through the ice-blue conduit and it came to his mind that he had no true plan as to how he was to proceed.


	3. Chapter 3

He landed non too gently on a thin ice layer, raising a fine snow haze. He shivered. Jotunheim had lost nothing of its cosiness since his last visit.  
In the distance, he made out the towers of the Jotun king’s stronghold amidst a mountain range and set off for it, the scrunching of the snow under his feet the only accompanying sound. He wondered why this place always seemed so deserted. Asgard’s streets and squares were ever crowded, the taverns and markets teeming with people. Here, in turn, there was only rock, ice and snow, and even the giant’s edifices looked like they had grown out of the landscape. Still, there had been enough giants to oppose him and his Asgardian companions when they had come here to fight. He had heard of a vast subterranean cave system, though, where the Jotuns spent most of their time.  
As he went on, he could not deny the place a certain beauty. It came from its very wildness that made it so different from Asgard, and the blue gleam casting this whole world in a magic light.  
He stopped, looking around, and for the first time since Odin’s revelation, gave in to the vision of him ruling this world. Until now, he had never wanted to consider it, appalled as he had been about the fact that the Allfather could even think of sending him to this dire place when the only home he wanted was Asgard. Since, however, there had been other options, when after his fall from the Bifröst, he had been drifting through the Nine Realms, in search of a place to make his own kingdom. Midgard, even though it was a poor match to the splendour of Asgard, had seemed the best choice and the pact with the Chitauri innocuous enough. He had been so confident, so sure to outdo them when it came to the point as he had always done with anyone. What a fool he had been! And how it hurt to admit it to himself! But eventually, his defeat against the Avengers had saved him from his unfortunate pact.  
He passed a group of three towers. They were in ruins, crumbled stonework covering the ground around him, probably wrecked in his attempt to destroy Jotunheim through the Bifröst. At the sight of the devastation, he felt a pang of guilt but dissipated it angrily. He did not owe the Jotuns anything. They had abandoned him carelessly. He had never been one of them. He wanted no ties to this world. What better way to sever them than by erasing the entire place? After all, the Allfather was as much to blame. He felt his anger rise, the fury about Odin’s manipulations. It was the feeling of being deceived. He was the trickster, the cunning one who was always a step ahead of the others. Only when it came to himself, he had been the betrayed one. He might have forgiven the lie of the Allfather if he had really wanted to protect him by keeping the truth from him. But he doubted it. And then there were others to blame, Heimdall above all. The guardian of the Bifröst, of an age with Odin, must have known about Loki’s origins all the time and had despised him for it. In hindsight, Loki knew he had always felt it. Although Heimdall was probably the only one to know except for Odin and Frigga, his demeanour could have instigated the aloofness of his brother’s war companions.  
A few steps ahead rose the grand portal to the Frost Giants’ fortress Gryttrheim and Loki stopped again, hesitating. Unless some rival pretender had taken Laufey’s death as an opportunity to seize the throne, it was likely that the new king was a brother of his. The thought prompted a strange mixture of anticipation and apprehension in him.  
Slowly, he approached the entrance, wondering that none had addressed him so far. He was sure he had been noticed by now. The reaction came when he set one foot on the threshold.  
“Stop, Asgardian!”  
He obliged and was immediately faced by two Jotuns.  
“What do you want?” one of them thundered.  
“I came to speak with your king. I am Loki of Asgard and I have some offers for him.”  
The two exchanged doubtful looks. Then the one who had spoken nodded.  
“Follow us!”  
They led him through a hall extending behind the entrance and down a succession of street-like pathways until they reached the actual core of the fortress, a low but vast building of black rock, forming a wide dome that was girdled by an arcade. Entering it through one of the arches, they came to another hall, this one larger than the first. Loki knew the place. It was where he had been received by Laufey two years ago. A deep beaming voice welcomed him:  
“Come closer, Asgardian!”  
He followed the invitation. In the twilight, he spotted a form on the throne-like seat at the far end of the great room and a pair of red eyes glowing like embers.  
“So, here you are again. It has been a while since your last visit, and a lot of unfulfilled promises.” The voice was full of contempt. “Have you at least succeeded in killing the old man?”  
Loki came to a sudden halt, needing a moment to let what he had just heard sink in. It came too unexpected. So, although they knew about Laufey’s death, the giants apparently did not know about his failure to kill Odin. He could not have hoped for a better opportunity. Rapidly, he conjured an image of Gungnir as a sign of his power, before he came closer to the Jotun ruler.  
He halted in front of the seat on which towered a Frost Giant with some resemblance to Laufey, although to an Asgardian, the Jotuns all looked quite alike. He was flanked by a dozen of companions standing at his sides.  
Loki lowered his head in what he hoped was clearly a nod rather than a bow.  
“Yes, indeed I have put an end to the Allfather’s long rule with the valuable support of your predecessor whose death I am all the more sorry about. I admit that I have taken much too long to pay my respects to the new king of Jotunheim, but unfortunately, it was not as easy to take the throne as I had hoped.”  
“Indeed, your plan seems to have been far less well devised than you wanted to make us believe two years ago”, the giant king said menacingly. “You are bold indeed to come here, bold and stupid if you do not have a good explanation to offer.”  
“It all went amiss. Laufey and his warriors were discovered and defeated before they could reach Odin’s chambers.”  
“You said you would conceal them.”  
“I did my best, but Heimdall was freed by Thor. I did not expect him to return from his exile.”  
“Yet, you escaped. How does it come you were not only not slain as well or imprisoned, but even succeeded in taking the throne?”  
Loki held his probing look defiantly although he was taken by a sudden fear that the giant might only have made him believe he did not know how Laufey had died.  
“Who can say what the Norns have designed for us? But it may still benefit you. What use would I have been to you rotting in some cell?”  
He paused shortly, but the giant did truly not seem to know about his imprisonment. Jotunheim was indeed a remote world and its inhabitants would have been busy enough repairing the damage Loki had done through the Bifröst.  
He relaxed again.  
“Your misery has an end now with me as Asgard’s king. I have come to free you from repression.”  
“Have you? But we are not so helpless either. With the ways you showed us, we can find the weak points of this golden glory ourselves. Actually, we have done so already.”  
“Yes, I have noticed. As have the other Asgardians. You robbed Thor’s hammer, did you not?”  
“It is only the beginning, the first step towards regaining our supremacy. Without his hammer, Thor will no longer be a threat to us.”  
“There are other warriors in Asgard, though”, Loki reminded him. “Thor was only a child, when Odin won his battle against your father.”  
“I could use the hammer myself. Unlike most others, I can lift and wield it. It would give me a true advantage. Let us see how well Asgard’s army will do against us this time!”  
“Only, with me at its head, Asgard’s army might not turn against you. We could be allies.”  
The Jotun looked at him, probing.  
“Why should I trust you? You have betrayed everyone around you.”  
“Am I to take that as an insult?”  
“I am only repeating what is said about you. A dubious fame for a king, though.”  
_Well, what do you expect of someone who was raised on a lie?_  
“Why is it you come all alone, like a thief and without a retinue as befits the king of Asgard, lord of the Nine Realms?”  
Loki raised his eyebrows. “Odin also used to wander around all alone.”  
“But he did so in disguise, hiding his true identity.”  
“Certain matters are better discussed between king and king. My rule differs from the Allfather’s. New ways have come, and my people may need some time to get used to it.”  
The giant king’s smile was full of scorn.  
“Your position is all but secured, isn’t it? So, you turn to us for support.”  
“It will benefit both of us.”  
“Will it? How can I be sure?”  
“I can only give you my word”, Loki said, fighting to keep his voice even. The discussion was going a wrong way and he half expected the Jotun to have him taken by his minions or even killed. While he was still frantically searching for a way to turn the situation to his advantage again, the giant king surprised him with a jovial laugh.  
“Well, you are lucky that I have always enjoyed taking challenges. As much as my good judgement warns me, I would give our cooperation a try.”  
Loki felt the menace fall away like a heavy stone, but he managed to keep his composure. Dealing with the Chitauri had been a hard lesson, after all.  
“I am pleased. I knew you would see the profit. Your name will be known among the Nine Realms as the one who restored Jotunheim to its glory. What is it, by the way?”  
“True, I have not introduced myself. I am Thrym, Laufey’s firstborn son and heir.”  
_My brother_.  
“You said you would use Mjöllnir”, Loki resumed. “In what way?”  
“I said I _could_ use the hammer. However, whatever you may think of me, I do not lust for bloodshed either. After all, there will be no need for it if we are to be allies. I am even willing to return Mjöllnir – under certain conditions.”  
“Such as?”  
“Well, you already promised the restitution of our power. So, I think I do not need to ask explicitly that you return the casket containing the Spirits of Winter. Of course, there is still the question of what use the hammer is for you. Certainly, you cannot use it yourself, but will the Thunderer wield it at your command, the murderer of his father?”  
“I am his king, after all.”  
“Ah”, Thrym said scornfully. “Anyway”, he resumed, “there is another thing: I demand Freya as my bride. Her renown as the most beautiful woman of Asgard and the whole universe, at that, has even reached our remote lands. I want her at my side. Indeed, the time could not be more perfect with our alliance to be sealed. Mjöllnir will be my wedding gift for her.”  
Loki thought that a blow from Thor could not have shaken him harder than Thrym’s claim. Freya would never accept to wed a Frost Giant, even if it was the only way to save Asgard. However, as matters stood, Loki saw no way of denying Thrym’s demand. He would think of a solution later even though it would require all his cunning to find one.  
He smiled.  
“You shall have her. As you say, it will forge our alliance all the tighter.”  
“Then we should lose no time! I will have the wedding feast prepared in three days’ time. I expect you to bring me my future wife by then.”  
Loki swallowed. “I will.”  
Thrym reached his right hand towards Loki.  
“Let us seal our deal with a handshake then, in the proper way.”  
Loki stared at the outstretched fingers, then looked up at the Jotun king seeing the triumphant grin in Thrym’s face. Reluctantly, he took the giant’s hand, watched as his own turned blue without however being harmed, and as he released it, his skin immediately regained its usual pinkish hue.  
“So it is true indeed. No Asgardian, then. Father suspected so and I felt it upon your arrival. Your parentage cannot be concealed so easily from us.”  
“Laufey knew it? Did he…feel anything else about me?”  
Thrym raised an eyebrow interrogatively.  
“It seems that he was my father as well, making us brothers.”  
For a moment, Thrym looked truly surprised.  
“ _You_?” he said then, his voice merely a whisper. “Not possible! You were doomed to die. How could you survive?”  
“So this is true as well: You abandoned me as a child, left me to die.”  
Thrym’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, then it dawned on him.  
“The Allfather took you, did he not? He disseised the Sisters of our offering. Is that what made us lose the battle? Did he know?” he said more to himself, seeming truly shaken.  
Loki, however, understood all too well, seeing yet another of the Allfather’s secret intentions laid open to him. Not the pity for a suffering child had moved his taking Loki with him but mere expedience, the opportunity to turn the tide of battle to his advantage.  
_Odin Skollvaldr_.  
Loki felt a wave of anger and disappointment sweep through his veins, gripping his heart with cold claws, but he shook it off immediately. He was done with the All-father for good.  
Looking up, Loki saw that Thrym had regained his composure and was facing him, his mien was even harder than before.  
“It was all revealed to you, then? And yet here you are, to offer an alliance, to support us against Asgard, and not without risk for yourself, at that. Why would you do such a thing for the ones that cast you out? What am I to make of this?”  
“Well, I admit that I do not have much love for you. However, I am not here for family affairs, and my bonds to Asgard are not as tight, either. When it comes to power, we have to cast aside personal motives.”  
To his surprise, Thrym’s expression softened. “Indeed, I cannot blame you for hating us, but you might take some consolation from the fact that it did not come easy to us either. We had no choice. We were about to lose that war against your...adoptive father. Father – your true father Laufey – implored the only Powers we have ever bowed to, the three wise women of Yggdrasil, the Norns, pleading with them for our freedom and lives. However, the weavers of fate do not grant their favours for free for what they have envisaged cannot easily be changed. We needed to offer a sufficient requital for our victory.”  
Loki swallowed. “A _requital_.”  
“A sacrifice if you prefer. It was a worthy cause, though. One life for thousands of others.”  
“The life of a child.”  
“Of royal lineage, aye.”  
“I was not the only son, however.”  
“No, you were not. Indeed, although we do not share our mothers, there are two more brothers for you to meet, and three sisters. So, why you? I will tell you: because, of us all, you seemed least apt to win us back our supremacy, to bear the burden of our legacy. You were born small, a half-blood. Your mother even feared you would not survive in this world that was not hers. Father saw no warrior in you.”  
_So, apparently, elder favoured brothers are my curse_.  
“In a word, I was unworthy. I did not mean anything to you.”  
“I did not say that! Father treasured all his offspring, also those born from his tribute wives. You were loved. Your mother tried hard to save you, to change our father’s mind, but he would not relent. He could not. A sacrifice had to be made and – how shall I put it? – you were the most...affordable option. Ours is a hard world and with the war at our doors, we had to make every step count.”  
“How comes it then that Odin had such a different view of me, that he thought me useful enough to rescue me?”  
“How am I to know?”  
There was a short silence in which none of the two knew what to say.  
“Well”, Loki resumed with a sigh, “at least you have a fair chance now to see the times of war ended for good once our alliance is forged. Maybe it will give us a chance to know each other better.”  
“Be my guest then! We will speak of the details of the wedding at the feast tonight. On that occasion, you shall also know our customs – and your true kin!”


	4. Chapter 4

The banquet hall was brimming with mirth. The long stone tables were loaded with plates of food, huge obsidian jugs and beakers almost as large and around them on the benches, guests were crowding and all were Frost Giants, their skin blue, the eyes glowing like hot embers.  
Loki took in the sight, still somewhat disbelieving. He had heard stories about the halls of the giants, buried deep within the rocks. However, he was not prepared for this: the walls glistening with ice crystals, columns and galleries carved from the granite disappearing in the invisible heights of the cavern. Against Asgard’s golden and pompous glory, Jotunheim was of a more silent and cool beauty like a winter sky lit by the full moon, hard and fragile at the same time.  
However, the strangest thing was to see the giants like this, merry and laughing, the creatures from the nightmares of every child in Asgard. Of course, he had long left behind these stupid stories, but his perception of them as a warrior was just more realistic, not more tolerant and open-minded. And as far as his ásar self was concerned, they remained his enemies, after all.  
Still, there were many similarities to discover that left a strange feeling.  
They sang, some danced. They even drank mead like in Asgard, albeit of a stronger kind, much tarter and bitterer, made from the smoky honey of the reindeer gadfly, and as the drinking loosened their tongues, the men began to boast about their battle deeds. More than once, Loki almost thought he heard Volstagg or Thor bellowing.  
The food was another matter, though. The Asgardian fare was rich but elaborate and while meat played a central part in it, especially the one from game hunted by the warriors themselves, it never came without large amounts of fruits and vegetables making the feasts of Asgard as much a joy for the eyes as for the palate.  
Here in turn, the dishes consisted of meat and fish alone, the cold of Jotunheim not allowing the growth of any plants barring a thin moss layer that barely fed the reindeer, and none of it was cooked, as, of course, fire did not exist in the realm of the Frost Giants. Despite their primitiveness, some dishes were quite enjoyable, at least the ones made from beasts Loki was familiar with, like salmon and bear. The former one was among Thor’s favourites and rarely missing on Asgardian banquets either, and the Jotuns had developed some skills in the art of marinating that compensated for the lack of fire.  
Loki raised his cup to take a sip of mead, his eyes meeting the reflection on the liquid’s surface and he stopped to stare at his face, with the same bluish skin and red eyes as everyone around him. By now, the Jotun power that hung over the place had imbued his body enough to reveal his hidden heritage. Still, he felt he did not belong here.  
Looking up, he saw Thrym sitting across from him and watching him. The Jotun king smiled.  
“And? How do you like it here?” he inquired as if he had read Loki’s thoughts.  
“It is very different from what I expected, from what I learned in Asgard.”  
“I thought so. Does it surprise you?”  
“What I see, yes, that Aesir distort the truth, no.”  
Thrym laughed. “You should have come earlier, if only to know your kin.”  
“You mentioned my mother”, Loki said, “but I have not met her so far. Where is she?”  
Thrym’s smile vanished. “Dead. Her name was Nal, a Vanr, given as a tribute to our father who had subdued her clan. In the wake of the war against Asgard, with the Spirits taken from us and our power waning, our strength and health were put to a hard test. Many did not survive, and your mother had never assimilated well to our harsh environment. Losing you demoralised her further.”  
Loki stared at him, bewildered. So far, he had always thought of the Frost Giants as soulless monsters, devoid of any feelings. It had seemed natural with all the stories he had heard about them. Now, however, one brick after the other of this illusionary castle broke down, revealing not only a far more complex truth but also the full extent of Odin’s betrayal.  
So, he had Vanr blood in his veins. A wave of melancholy swept over him with a memory from his childhood. Frigga had always called him her little Vanr when he had yet again learned a spell much faster than she had expected, jesting that he must have some of the dark elder magic of the Vanir in him. He had taken it as mere banter, the pride of a mother who was herself a skilled sorcerer. Indeed, as much as they flaunted their superiority, the Aesir were still in awe of the arcane power of the Vanir.  
Knowing his true origins tinged Frigga’s words with a bitter aftertaste. She had felt his heritage, but had withheld the truth from him.  
Another round of mead was brought and the beakers were filled.  
Thrym stood and grabbing the fabric of Loki’s tunic at the shoulder, pulled his guest up as well.  
“Now, my friends, raise your beakers to our estimated visitor! The king of Asgard in our halls, come amidst us not as an enemy but to bring us back our power and glory. Would you have believed it if somebody had forecast this happening to you?”  
Heads were shaking wildly.  
“Me neither. So, let us praise the Norns for having turned our fate at last!”  
Loud cheers answered his words only to be drowned by a thundering voice coming from the far left corner of the hall, where a gaunt giant had risen from his seat, now stretching an accusing hand towards Thrym. His skin was very pale, rather grey than blue, and his eyes were covered by an opaque film.  
He is blind, Loki realised.  
“Beware, king!" the man addressed Thrym. "Do not let yourself be fooled! Nothing good has ever come from golden Asgard. Why would it be different now?”  
“Shut up, Myrkorð! There is no place for your evil foreboding here! Tonight, we want to celebrate and we have good reason indeed! Asgard’s new lord is one of us and new times will come with his rule.”  
“One of us, aye, but a gift to the Weaving Sisters he was, that was robbed from them! Is it any wonder that they have not granted us good fortune since?”  
“It was not us who begrudged them their offering. But who knows”, Thrym japed, “the Norns themselves might have had other plans for him. They might have predestined him to be our saviour.”  
Myrkorð glared at him and his voice was icy, even by Jotun standards. “I warn you again. Do not offend the Weaving Sisters with your insolent jests!”  
Loki saw the unease grow among the assembled guests. Thrym snorted contemptuously.  
“Do not pay him any heed, Loki! None of you! He has never anything good to say as his name implies. But, I ask you, have any of his dark predictions ever come true? I do not know of any. However, of course, I too honour the Weavers of Fate. I will make them an offering such as never has been seen before to show my gratitude for their blessing. So, no need for worry, friends! Now, let us be merry!”  
There was a short silence following his words. Then, the music and talk resumed, sweeping away the shadows of Myrkorð’s warnings in an instant.  
The feasting went on and when one guest after the other finally rose to retire, Loki was long past wondering at the fact that the giants had to sleep as well. This evening, he had known them in all their triteness.

Thrym in person led Loki to the room he had had prepared for his guest. For all the ample space it offered its furnishing was pitifully modest. While the sparse but exquisite equipment of Gladsheim’s halls added to their splendour, the rough bed, table and bench in this room were rather evocative of a prison cell. In comparison, Loki’s accommodation in Asgard’s dungeons had been truly elegant.  
Dissembling his disdain, he thanked his host and returned his wishes for a good night. Alone, he sat down on the bed. Like the table and the bench, its frame was made from the bones of some large beasts of indeterminable variety although the sharp fangs that were visible here and there and the Jotuns’ hunting preferences suggested predators. A couple of furs served as sheets. At least, the giants were as little enthusiastic about sleeping hard as the Aesir. Nevertheless, the comfort left much to be desired, when he lay down on the bed. It somehow made him feel like lying in a grave.  
Stars, how he missed the splendour and warmth of Asgard! In this regard, he really had become an Asgardian. While part of him was angry at his own weakness, he did not see anything that was worth living in this world. Was it even possible for him to feel at home in this place? Odin had intended him to rule it, had he not? Unite Asgard and Jotunheim. That had been his intention, but of course, the glory of Asgard was reserved for Thor, while Loki was left with this ice desert, his Frost Giant blood helping him to acclimate, or so the Allfather thought. To Loki it felt as alien as ever. He had no desire to take it from Thrym. His brother could keep his realm for himself. As much as his view of the Frost Giants might have changed tonight, their world was not his and they did not want him either. It was plain to Loki that Thrym mistrusted and despised him. The giant’s overblown joviality was poorly hiding his true feelings. Still, he would probably rather see his lost brother on the throne of Asgard than Odin and thus be willing to help Loki win it.  
Loki shook his head, smiling, marvelling at the turns of fate. Actually, he had come to Jotunheim without any other intentions than to find a way to get Thor`s hammer back. He had not given a single thought to including the giants into his usurpation plans, but of course, he had not known them as he did now. Given this unexpected opportunity, though, he might make up his mind. After all, he still lusted for the Allfather’s throne.  
Unable to sleep, he got up. With most of the giants resting, this was the perfect opportunity to have a closer look at the place without his hosts controlling his every move.  
Turning to the bed, he conjured one of his projections that he left sleeping between the sheets so that, should somebody check his room, they would not discover his little excursion. Then, he made his body shift, choosing the form of an owl that seemed most suited to the twilight in the caves and the secrecy needed, lifted into the air and left the chambers.  
The corridors and halls of the fortress were deserted with not a single soul to be seen. He would learn nothing here.  
Following a spontaneous intuition, he took the way to the entrance hall and leaving the stronghold turned towards the settlement surrounding it. Indeed, Gryttrheim was girded by a dense maze of streets that were occasionally interrupted by a square and bordered by houses. A giant city hidden within the mountains. Considering that it was subterranean, the place was surprisingly lofty, the cavern ceiling lost in the misty heights overhead.  
He sailed over the silent town, unable to detect any living being. The same cool blue glow from an undefinable source that had lit the banquet hall filled the entire inside of the mountain so that, despite the absence of moonlight and fire, it was not entirely dark.  
He flew over a large place that might have been a market for the stall-like buildings that covered it. Loki wondered what it would be like to see the giants trade for food and everyday goods. Did the noble women send their servants as was the custom in Asgard? He did not even know whether the Jotuns were familiar with the concept of aristocracy. At the banquet, Thrym had been addressed rather casually, but apart from his siblings, Loki had been introduced to just a handful of the guests that had all been presented as warriors without any details about a potential rank.  
He was drawn from his contemplation by a sound suddenly hitting his ears. It was very low at first and he would not have perceived it without the superior sense of hearing that his owl form conferred to him, but as he continued his flight, it became louder. He started. A voice. Singing and not just anything. He knew the song at once. His mother, Frigga, had sung it to him and Thor when they were children. It was a melancholic love song in the dialect of Vanaheim. Only now it occurred to him that he had never asked where his mother got it from or if it had any special meaning to her. It did not matter anymore, though.  
Finally, he found the origin of the singing, a stately property occupying the upper end of a large place all by itself, separated from it by a sturdy wall and surrounded by a wide yard. In Asgard, this latter would have been crowded with trees, flowers and wells, this one was decorated with what looked like ice and rock sculptures, although it was hard to tell what exactly they represented.  
Loki’s eyes were attracted by something else anyway. On a bench lining the wall to face the square sat a figure and from her came the singing. She was clearly a giantess with the blue skin of the Jotuns, yet small, about the same size as Loki, and with shiny black hair that also resembled his own. Her eyes were of a darker red than he had seen in the other giants, almost chestnut. She was garbed in the usual sparse way of the Jotuns, the women’s breechclout of dark leather just slightly longer than the one male giants wore and only complemented by a breast cover of the same fashion, revealing a toned, perfect body. Additionally, though, a long cloak of soft night blue wool covered her shoulders, a detail Loki had not seen in any of the giantesses at the feast.  
He circled overhead, downright enchanted by her singing. Although her voice was different from Frigga’s and especially her accent unfamiliar, Loki was overwhelmed by memories. Oblivious to any risk, he dropped down and landed on the bench at her side.  
She stopped her singing and looked at him in a mixture of amazement and curiosity.  
“What are you? I have never seen the like of you before.”  
Gently, she reached out, touching him, carefully at first, then, seeing no danger, began to stroke his head.  
Although the lifespan of the Jotuns was comparable to that of the Aesir, she was very young for one of her kind and surprisingly lovely. Asgardian lore was full of tales praising the legendary beauty of giantesses and of male Aesir choosing them as their mistresses. In light of the portrayals of the giant warriors, Loki and Thor had found that hard to believe, though. Could Jotun women be so different from their male counterparts? However, while he had already been somewhat disabused of his doubts at the banquet, seeing this girl, the tales suddenly made perfect sense.  
“Angrboða!” A rude voice called, making them both wince. “Bor’s rotting balls! "Where are you?”  
Rapidly, she cast a fold of her cloak over the owl, immersing Loki into darkness. A moment later, he heard heavy steps approach.  
"Angrboða, what are you about, you naughty witch? You are not to be outside at this time, even less singing your sorcerous songs. I forbid it!"  
She stood, making sure the cloak still covered the bird on the bench.  
"My apologies, uncle. I did not want to upset you and even less harm anybody. I just could not sleep and thought a little fresh air would do me good. I would not have gone far."  
"Yes, well. You got that now. Be gone to your chambers quickly!”  
Loki felt how he was lifted, draped in the cloak and carried away with her. Then, she suddenly opened the fold of the fabric and shook him out.  
“Fly”, she whispered.  
He did not need to be told twice, but took wing immediately and without any sound thanks to his owl feathering. Soaring, he saw the girl follow the giant she had called her uncle to the house, a true hulk even for one of his kind with a sour look on his face. On the threshold, she stopped, looked up and after a while of searching, detected him. Their eyes locked and she smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

“Can you see him, Heimdall?”  
Thor and Sif were standing beside the guardian, looking out over the sea extending beneath the Bifröst. Silently, Heimdall stared in the distance for a while, as if ignoring the question.  
“No”, he then admitted reluctantly. “It is always the same with him. Whatever I try to overcome his magic, he still succeeds to veil himself from me. Why did the Allfather send him, of all his warriors? I warned him. Anybody would have been a better choice for this mission than him.”  
“Surely, father had his reasons. He always has”, Thor replied, not sounding wholly convinced, though.  
“Maybe, he should have sent someone else or one of us should have accompanied Loki.”  
“That would only have made the Jotuns suspicious”, Thor objected. “Loki better works alone when it comes to his schemes.”  
“That is just the problem”, Heimdall said. “We do not know what he is truly up to.”  
“His part in the fight against the Dark Elves was sincere enough, even though it was made up of a trick.”  
“He used it to fake his death to escape from gaol!” Sif argued.  
“Yes, but he truly risked his life in the fight.”  
“It makes no matter”, Heimdall said. “We just have to wait now and hope that you have not let yourself be deceived by him. I will call you as soon as I see anything.”  
“Thank you, Heimdall!” Thor said, turning towards the gate leading to the way to Asgard.  
Sif followed him, stopping at the beginning of the bridge to summon their horses. Thor withheld her.  
“Let’s walk, shall we? Talking is easier like that.”  
“As you wish. Indeed, there is enough to bespeak. For instance, I wonder how you can still trust Loki”, she repeated the question that Loki himself had asked Thor when he had come to seek his help.  
Back then, he really had not trusted him and been really worried whether his decision was wise. Thus, he had been all the more surprised by Loki’s performance. For a brief moment he had deluded himself that his brother had resurged. Losing him had been all the harder, and thus, his joy about having him back outweighed his anger about Loki’s faking his death. He knew his brother’s strange sense of humour after all.  
Still, the ease with which Loki had tricked him into believing him dead left a queasy feeling that even their cooperation against the Dark Elves could not completely repel. Actually, Thor had even known a moment of fear when his brother had raised this damn knife of his to stab him and cut his right hand. It had been naught but an illusion of course and the plan to deceive Malekith Thor’s very own, but he had left the details to Loki to make it look more real. His surprise had indeed been true enough. The cut had not hurt him, he had felt his hand all the time, but the faith he had once had in his brother had not returned yet, probably never would.  
“I don’t”, he answered Sif’s question in the same way he had Loki’s. “Not entirely, that is. But as I said, our recent cooperation has reawakened my hope that he is not thoroughly evil. After all, part of the blame for what he has done may go to me.”  
Sif frowned. “How is that?”  
“Apparently, he felt disadvantaged. I was never aware his jealousy was so great. For me, everything was clear. It seemed perfectly natural that father would leave his throne to me, his firstborn and heir. I never paid much attention to his saying that we were both born to be kings. But apparently, Loki did and deep within, his anger grew. He never betrayed anything of it, though. We had our differences for sure, but that is nothing unusual between siblings, isn’t it?” He laughed. “Just think of Frey and Freya, or Baldur and Hödur!”  
Sif smiled, however only shortly.  
“He could have said something, expressed his discontent. No one would have resented him. As things stand now, he cannot blame you for something you were not aware of.”  
“I always thought Loki at ease with father’s decision”, Thor concurred, “considered him my follower, but I was wrong. He tried to kill me during my exile on Midgard. Such hatred does not develop within a couple of days as disturbing as the discovery of his true parentage might have been. I had nothing to do with that.”  
“He always had kind of a penchant towards exaggerated reactions. You remember when he cut my hair off while I was sleeping?”  
“Oh that! But he was little more than a boy back then.”  
“Still, old enough to know how much he hurt me with it.”  
“He was jealous of how you courted me. You see, again, jealous of me.”  
“Maybe, but he did not care about me.”  
“Can you tell?”  
“Can anybody tell anything about him?”  
“At least, he always answered for his damages. He wove a spell to make your hair grow back in just one day.”  
“That he did”, Sif conceded.  
“And his pranks often cost him dearly enough, while we had the benefit. Thinking of it, it almost seems to me now as if he thought he had to earn his place among us. Indeed, mother told me he never felt like he belonged even before father’s revelation. She knew him best. He confided much in her. I worry what he will become without her influence.”  
“She did not stop him from scheming against you.”  
“Only because the care for father took all her attention.”  
“I hope you are not wrong in your assumptions.”  
“We can only wait and hope.”  
“However, I would rather not just sit around until our gracious Loki deigns to return.”  
Thor grimaced. “Me neither, but what can we do?”  
“Think of what we will do when he does not come back or with an army of giants whose leader is wielding Mjöllnir. Have you ever thought of this possibility?”  
“You are right, we need a sound plan. Let’s see the others!”

Returning to Asgard, they found Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun in their favourite fight training room. Obviously, their friends were just as eager to do something about their unfortunate situation as Thor and Sif. Fandral and Hogun were engaged in a fierce sword combat and even Volstagg was unusually edgy, fidgeting with his axe and only occasionally stopping at a large sideboard burdened with a generous choice of delicacies. The arrival of their companions made them stop immediately, however, and Thor and Sif got a warm welcome, as their friends shared their worries and were more than glad to at least prepare for an emergency. Still, Volstagg saw no reason to renounce all pleasure.  
“Make yourself comfortable, have some food!” he urged. “Our cooks excelled themselves. There is delicious salmon”, he tempted Thor.  
“Thank you, but I do not have the nerve to stomach that now.”  
Sif confined to an apple.  
“What chance is there really that Loki uses this opportunity to attack Asgard?” she asked.  
“I believe him capable of it”, Hogun said. “What do you think, Thor? You know him best.”  
“Do I? I doubt it.”  
“Asgard has its defences”, Fandral observed. “The Jotun weaponry is rather primitive.”  
“However, the damage done to our shields by the Dark Elves’ attack is not fully repaired yet”, Sif reminded them, “and the giants have Mjöllnir. If they could steal it, they are likely able to wield it as well. Thor has always been our champion against the Frost Giants.”  
“I can still fight them with a sword. I might be a little out of practice, but I have more power left than as a human on Midgard.”  
Fandral raised his blade. “I am at your disposal if you need some training.”  
Thor smiled wryly. The memory of his stay on earth made him feel the loss of his hammer even more painfully. As hard as it had been to have it within his reach without being able to take it, no one else had been either. Mjöllnir had been safe. Now, in turn, Thor did not even know where his hammer had been taken to. He could be in some deep Jotun vault never to be found again or, worse, be used by the thief in an attack on Asgard as Sif had evoked. Any way, it felt like he had lost an old and dear friend.  
A sound at the door made them all turn. A guard was standing in the frame, saluting as the five looked at him.  
“Highness, Mylady, Mylords, I bring a message from Heimdall! Prince Loki has returned.”


	6. Chapter 6

“You must have lost your mind! I am not going to wed a Frost Giant!”  
Freya stood in the centre of the assembled Asgardians, glaring at Loki.  
“He is their king”, he could not help daring her.  
“Whatever he is, I do not care!”  
The throne hall was crowded with people and all were staring at Loki and Freya. With the news about the theft of Mjöllnir having spread across Asgard, the announcement of Loki’s return had attracted Odin’s entire household. Although he knew that the tidings he brought would be received with little enthusiasm among them, Loki was content with it. He would have had to summon them anyway, Freya at least.  
Her reaction did not come as a surprise, either. But he would defy her. There was no choice. He had to satisfy Thrym’s demand if he did not want to risk not only Asgard but his own life.  
Freya, however, did not seem inclined to play her crucial role.  
“If that was your idea”, she yelled, “I swear I am going to…”  
“Of course it was not!” Loki interrupted her angrily and then shot her a mocking smirk. “Actually, I do not feel any sympathy for Thrym, but I would not do this to him. I am certain he would come to regret having you at his side.”  
Freya rolled her eyes in exasperation.  
“Very amusing! I am not at all impressed by your stupid jokes! You have granted this giant’s claim all the same. That is the only thing that I care about.”  
“What would you have me done?”  
“You would send me to this terrible place, to live among these monsters, to be bedded by one of them! How dare you even think of it?”  
“Well”, Loki said with a nasty grin, “we all know that you have lain with most any being in the Nine Worlds that has a cock. It cannot be that hard for you.”  
Freya glared at him, then her lips curled into a cold smile. “And we all know that you were not among my chosen ones as much as you have craved it, so shut up!”  
Everyone was shooting him hostile looks now. They were blaming him for Freya’s misfortune, he knew. Well, if they wanted war, they could have it!  
He smiled at Freya scornfully. “Why would I want something that everyone can have? My taste is a bit more exquisite.”  
He turned around facing Hogun.  
“Why, Hogun! And here you are again, when we all thought you back in your native lands for good. You have always been such a loyal companion to Thor and Asgard, but have sorely neglected your loved ones you left behind, especially your wife. Ilda, isn’t that her name? Faithful Ilda, well, more or less faithful. Truly, she was hard to get off with, but in the end her loneliness won after all.”  
“Liar! How dare you defame my wife?”  
“I am not lying. It’s just that no one ever believes me. Why is that, I wonder.”  
“You bastard! You are a liar!” Hogun lunged towards Loki, but an angry wink from Odin stopped him midway.  
“Enough!” The menace in Odin’s voice let them all fall silent immediately. “There is no time for your petty quarrelling now! We have to find a way to get Mjöllnir back and save Freya at the same time.”  
“You should never have consented, Loki!” Freya shouted. “Surely, there must have been another solution!”  
“I don’t think so. Mjöllnir will be Thrym’s wedding gift for you. What better way to get it back? And as soon as we have succeeded, you will be rescued.”  
“There may be an alternative”, Heimdall remarked. “The giant does not know Freya. He has never seen her. We could send any woman from Asgard,” his eyes went to Sif, “also a female warrior.”  
"Trick the Jotuns, you mean?" Fandral said. "Do you think they will fall for it?"  
"I don`t know, but it is worth a try, is it not?"  
“Not to question your loveliness, Sif”, Thor remarked, “but everyone knows of Freya’s golden hair at least. It will not work.”  
“Hair can be changed. We could dye it or cover it with a veil.”  
"It will not be easy", Volstagg said, "and dangerous at that.  
“You are right”, Thor agreed. “It is much too risky. I will not let Sif be put in such danger.”  
“I think it is an option”, Fandral countered. “Do you have a better one?”  
“It could be a man, though”, Heimdall said. “We just have to disguise him well.”  
“That would be even more salient.”  
“I think we could handle that”, Baldur’s wife Nanna said turning to the women around her. “With the right make-up and dress, we should be able to turn a man into a decent enough woman.”  
“But who then shall we send?” Volstagg asked.  
“Why, Thor, of course”, Hogun said. “Who would be more able to get Mjöllnir back?”  
The look that Thor shot him was surprised at first; then it darkened.  
“I would go immediately, I swear it! But not in such a craven way! Honestly! You would have me put in drags? You cannot be serious! What shall the Nine Realms think of me?”  
“It is just a disguise! No one would doubt of your manhood, even more so when you vanquish the giants.”  
“He is right”, Odin said. “It may be against our morals, but in this case, it serves a higher purpose, the safety of Asgard, and thus, has my approval.”  
“However, I think mere disguise will not be sufficient”, Loki observed. “With my powers, I could give Thor Freya’s appearance. The Frost Giants would not recognise it until it is too late.”  
“You would _shift_ me into Freya’s likeness?”  
“Well, yes. But, although you are the best fighter in Asgard, we can still choose someone else if you cannot bear to play a woman.”  
“No, no, all right, I will do it.” He grinned wryly at Loki. “I only hope you know how to turn me back as well.”  
In reply he got Loki’s tongue poked at him.  
“We need a maid to accompany the bride”, Heimdall observed, oblivious to their bantering.  
“I volunteer.”  
All heads turned towards Sif.  
“What? I am a woman, am I not? But in addition, I can also offer you my sword. I think it will prove useful enough.”  
Loki nodded. “You are right. I must admit that I always appreciated your support when we still fought together.”  
“Thank you! Alas, I cannot return the compliment. Your magic always made me feel uneasy.”  
“You are welcome.”  
“If you let Sif accompany you, then take us three as your escort!” Volstagg said looking at Fandral and Hogun who immediately nodded their approval. “A noble woman from Asgard cannot be sent to her bridegroom without a proper retinue, and you will need us for the fight against the giants.”  
Thor’s and Sif’s eyes went to Loki, inquiring.  
He hesitated, still not sure which side he would take, Asgard’s or the giants’. However, the three warriors would not be able to save the day for Thor and Sif if he were to decide for the Jotuns. In this case, he just had to make sure that Thor did not get his hammer back. So, he shrugged.  
“Very well. I think your support will indeed be helpful”, he said, savouring their bewildered looks at his giving in so easily. They might be in for an even bigger surprise.  
“When do we have to leave?” Sif asked.  
“Thrym has scheduled the wedding feast for overmorrow evening. That leaves us until tomorrow to travel to Jotunheim and enough time for the necessary preparations.”

The crowd of attenders was even larger when they met again the other day. The gravity of the matter could not lessen the entertainment value of seeing the mighty Thor turned into the most beautiful woman of Asgard.  
Thor was visibly uneasy about all the spectators and the whole situation at that. Again, Loki swayed between glee and compassion for his once-brother, even though, in his eyes, the fuss Thor made about his male pride was greatly exaggerated.  
“I still would prefer a direct fight”, Thor argued until the very last.  
Loki sighed. “You will get the opportunity early enough. As soon as Thrym gives you the hammer, you are free to thrash him as you like.”  
“In a dress? With a body half my size that cannot even lift Mjöllnir?”  
“I will turn you back in time, don’t fret!”  
“You should have told us earlier if you do not want to do this, Thor”, Hogun admonished the Thunderer. “Now it is a little late to find someone else.”  
It was Odin who put an end to the bickering.  
“Enough now! Let us get over with this ridiculous masquerade if there is no other way! Turn Thor, Loki, and then be gone to Jotunheim so this be fixed as soon as possible.”  
“Why, I am definitely not the coy one here”, Loki said defiantly shooting Thor a mocking smile. He raised his right hand towards his brother, and with a light ripple, Thor’s mighty body shrunk to Freya’s slender form. For a moment, all stared at the apparition: Thor had indeed become the perfect likeness of the beautiful Vanr. Only his terrifying look reminded of the warrior inside.  
“Well”, Fandral said teasingly, “if I didn’t know better, I would have difficulties telling them apart.”  
“As long as Thor-she keeps her mouth shut and does not move”, Loki remarked. “As for that mien…”  
“Come on, _Freya_!” Volstagg called out. “Smile just a little, lest you ruin Loki’s efforts!”  
Loki’s eyes went over to the real Freya and he smirked at her furious glare. “Actually, I don’t see such a difference.”  
Freya’s retort was cut off by the arrival of Sif in a dress of soft green silk that almost surpassed the glorious bride gown Loki had conjured for Thor in finery and immediately attracted everyone’s attention.  
“Promise me you will wear this again when we are back safe and sound”, Fandral sighed.  
“Certainly not”, Sif snarled. “I already yearn for the moment when I can get back into my armour.”  
“Come on!” Loki urged. “Heimdall is waiting for us!”

They chose to walk the way to the Bifröst to give Thor an opportunity to get used to his new form. Indeed, while the outer appearance of Thor’s body was changed, it was still the same underneath. Thor did not have the routine of a regular shape shifter like Loki who was proficient in using all kind of bodies like his own, his power additionally enabling him to understand any unfamiliar locomotion immediately. Thor in turn, had obvious difficulties to adapt wherefore Loki did not blame him. However, he also did not make any visible effort.  
“Hati’s teeth, Thor!” Loki could not help snapping at him. “You walk like an ox! At least try not to look so peeved! It is your damn hammer we are after, anyway! Do you want it back or not?”  
“I do. And I do the best I can to make this work”, Thor grunted. “It is just not that easy with all the rage inside me.”  
“I can relate to it”, Sif said. “I think I would be more at ease going naked than in these rugs.”  
“Really? I always enjoyed being around as a woman.”  
“You have shifted into a woman?” Fandral asked.  
“More than once and in many different forms. Waiting girl, tavern wench, shield maid, I know them all from the very inside...”  
“Here in Asgard? And young women?” There was a note of panic now in Fandral’s voice.  
“It has occurred to me”, Loki replied with a shrug and his grin broadened at the disconcerted faces of his male companions. Even the transformed Thor looked somewhat disquieted. There had been a time before Jane Foster, after all. Loki laughed to himself imagining the misgivings taking shape in their minds, all the more as they were completely unjustified. Indeed, he had not been keen on compromising encounters with his friends either.  
They reached the sphere where Heimdall was already waiting to open the bridge for them.  
“You look very authentic”, he acknowledged although his face did not betray any impression.  
He started the mechanism of the Bifröst with his sword.  
“Good luck”, the guardian dismissed the six warriors, and this time, his look was surprisingly tinged with true care and it encompassed Loki all the same.  
 _So, he can be nice after all_ , Loki thought.  
The portal opened in the wall in front of him and his companions, drawing them into its blue haze.


	7. Chapter 7

Although they landed even a little closer to the giants’ fortress, the journey towards it felt a good deal longer this time, with Thor and Sif stumbling and slipping about on the frozen ground.  
“Ymir’s balls! These damned shoes!” Thor swore with an angry side-glance at Loki. “Couldn’t you have left me my boots at least?”  
Sif’s look was no less reproachful.  
“You have to make an effort!” Loki quashed their complaints. “It is not that far anymore.”  
“It is all fine for you!” Thor grunted. “You just have to play yourself.”  
 _Not exactly_.  
Indeed, all their fussing had almost made him forget to adopt his kingly appearance and it was high time for it. His companions would likely react with some outrage and he had to deal with it before they met the giants. He had preferred to withhold that part of his plan from the Asgardian plenary, drawing on his full powers to veil it from Odin and Heimdall in particular. It sufficed having to stifle the suspicions of the five accompanying him.  
With a green flash, Loki conjured an image of Gungnir and his horned helm. He hadn’t worn the latter since New York. The others turned towards him.  
“What are you doing?” Sif called out aghast. “What does that mean?”  
“This is a trap!” Volstagg bellowed.  
“Be quiet!” Loki rebuked him. “No, it is not a trap! I did not tell you everything, it is true, but you have to trust me, as hard as it may be. When I came here two days ago, it was to discover that Thrym was completely ignorant of the circumstances of Laufey’s death and what had happened since. So, I made him believe I had succeeded in taking Asgard’s throne to be in a better position to deal with him.”  
“Did you now?” Volstagg sneered.  
Loki found himself surrounded by the others, Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun aiming their swords at him.  
“Look, you have to trust me!” he pleaded. “If I was really up to betray you, I would not have revealed my plans to you now, wouldn’t I? I would have waited until we reached Thrym’s stronghold.”  
They looked at him, dubious.  
“Well, he has got a point there”, Sif conceded.  
The blades were drawn back if only very slightly.  
“Why did you not tell the whole story back in Asgard, then?” Thor inquired.  
“I was afraid Odin would not have let me go. I will tell you all now, though. I…”  
“Look!” Hogun suddenly called out, peering over Loki’s shoulder in the direction of the fortress. “What is that?”  
They all followed his gaze. Halfway down the way to the stronghold, a company of a dozen giants was approaching. They were on foot as was the Jotuns’ custom, but in their midst they were leading a beast on a leash. Bewildered, the six Asgardians watched the train close in. From a shorter distance, the animal looked like a mixture of a great bull and an ice bear, with a thick blonde fur and a long, tapering horn rising in a single spiral from its forehead. High on the beast’s back sat a litter made of bleached leather on which had been stitched star-and moon-shaped silver tokens as ornaments. For all its crudeness, there was something adorable about the construct.  
The way the others and Freya in particular stared at the apparition, Loki fought hard not to burst out laughing.  
He was just as distracted as them, however, so that he only noticed that Thrym himself was among the group when the Jotun king addressed him.  
“I welcome you, king of Asgard, and your retinue of noble and valiant warriors. I am pleased you brought me my lovely bride. I could not ask for a more honourable escort for my betrothed.”  
Loki inclined his head. “We thank you for the kind reception. The noble Freya is happy to accept your proposal.”  
“I hope she also brought her dowry”, Thrym said with a challenging look at Loki. “I do not see the other thing you promised me. Have you got the Spirits of Winter with you as well?”  
All eyes of the Aesir shot towards Loki.  
“What?” Sif hissed.  
Loki silenced her and anything the others might say with an imploring look.  
“I think it is appropriate to wait for the marriage ceremony to exchange the wedding gifts”, he said to Thrym, “don’t you agree?”  
Thrym stared at him, then he smiled nastily. “As I see it, you are not in the position to set conditions, are you? But for the sake of hospitality and in honour of my bride, your wish shall be granted. Now, let us conduct you to Gryttrheim. My bride shall have a smooth journey.” He reached out, took Thor’s hand and turned to the beast. “Please let me help you, my precious Freya!”  
With that, he howled her up and stuffed her into the litter on the animal’s back that let off an angry snort and stepped to the side making his burden sway precariously. Laughing, Thrym gave its hindquarters a hearty tap that was answered with an even fiercer bucking.  
Loki was glad that it was not the real Freya up in that litter.  
The journey to Gryttrheim was nicely smooth, though, and despite the beast’s rather ponderous gait, way faster than they could ever have achieved with Thor on foot.  
Thrym led them to his throne hall.  
"The preparations for the wedding feast are well advanced", he told his guests cheerfully. "Thus, we can keep to our schedule. We will be united tomorrow evening, my dear Freya", he added with a lecherous glance at his bride-to-be who answered with an even dirtier smile.  
 _Ah, Thor! What a pity that Freya cannot see you ruin her honourable name! That is, if she ever had anything like it._  
"In the meantime, there is another point to discuss", Thrym said turning to Loki. "Having thought of it, I would like to give you a proper proof of my gratitude for your generous gift and at the same time, tighten our alliance further. The mighty king of Asgard needs a queen at his side, and now that I am to have an Ásynja as my wife, it seems only fitting to pair you with one of us.”  
Loki was speechless for a moment, staring at Thrym who laughed at his stupor.  
“Oh, don’t fret! We have chosen a gentle wife for you and of great beauty. I trust you have heard of the legendary grace of giantesses? And your betrothed is small to fit your...” He let his eyes wander over Loki’s body with a grin, “size.”  
He stood. “It is late. Now that my lovely bride is finally at my side, I am longing to know all of her charms. So my dear”, he reached towards Freya, “if you would accompany me…”  
“No!” Thor burst out furiously. “I will not! You just said the wedding would be tomorrow. So, tomorrow it is!”  
“The wedding, yes, but I would rather be sure about my choice. You would not offer me a blind bargain, would you?”  
“That is really enough now!” Thor roared. “I am NOT going to do this! The wedding is tomorrow!”  
Thrym grinned. “Uh, such fierceness! These blazing eyes! And yet you are so coy. What a contradiction! Truly, I have never seen a woman like you!”  
“You must understand”, Loki intervened, having regained his composure, “Ásynjur are very concerned about their honour. What you ask is unseemly.”  
“And what about this behaviour? Although I admit that her ferocity is not even surprising me, this prudery is all the more. I have heard a lot about my future wife but exaggerated decency was not among it, and she is Vanr, after all.”  
“Still, the proprieties have to be observed.”  
Thrym's discontented look wandered between Loki and Freya, and for a moment, he seemed dangerously close to a tantrum, but finally he relaxed, sighing.  
“Very well! I would show my good will to my bride – and to my allies at that. I have waited for quite a while, so that I can abide one more lonely night. However”, he said to Loki, “you shall not be denied your pleasure. Rather, this shall be an opportunity to familiarise with each other’s customs. Your future wife will be at your disposal tonight so you can come to know each other, especially”, he added laughing nastily, “as it seems that you could need a little persuasion.” He clapped his hands. “Bring the girl!”  
Two giants entered, looking all the more enormous for the small figure in their midst that they were dragging with them. She was struggling against their containment fiercely enough, but did not stand a chance. They halted before Loki, shoving her towards him so hard that she stumbled to the ground at his feet. He, however, could just stare at her, incredulous. She was small indeed, of Loki’s own size, with long shiny black hair also much like his. The girl he had met the other night.  
"Behold the lovely Angrboða!" Thrym introduced her. "Come on", he commanded his servants. "Get her to his room!”  
The two thugs picked her up, none too gently, and dragged her back the way they had come.  
“Follow us, Highness from Asgard!” they prompted him, way too dismissively, but he could only stand there, watching them, while his anger grew. He wanted to hit them, lash out with his power to crush them for their lack of respect on the one hand, but even more for the way they were treating her.  
Instead, he stumbled mutely after them.  
“Have fun!” Thrym called out in his back.  
They led her to the same room he had been assigned during his previous stay, pushed her over the threshold and, without further ado, left Loki alone with her.  
There she stood beside the ugly bone bed, all tense and defensive, her arms wrapped tightly about her chest.  
He approached slowly, leaving enough space between them so as not to frighten her even more.  
“Easy! Listen, I do not want to…”  
Well, something in him indeed wanted to do just that, but not by force. As little shy he usually was of using violence to achieve his goals, with her it was different. He wanted her to love and respect him. Strangely enough, it felt not so different from craving Odin's respect and love or that of a people he was to rule. It had always been about that, actually.  
"I can imagine how you feel. You don't know me. Surely, they have told you all kind of things about me, most of which are probably lies."  
She stared at him, the apprehension in her eyes suddenly giving way to bewilderment.  
“But I do know you! Not like that, not in this form, but I have seen you before, your eyes, and I have also felt your presence. I am sure about it!”  
Loki could not help grinning. “You saved me from your uncle two nights ago.”  
She looked at him uncomprehending, then it dawned on her. “That bird?”  
“An owl. I took its shape to explore. Don’t you have owls here?”  
“Nightbirds, yes, we know them, but they look different. My uncle hates all of them, though. He would have shown you no mercy. That is why I hid you.”  
“Thank you. I think I could have coped with him” he added smugly, “but still…”  
He fell silent, not knowing what more to say.  
“Again", he resumed after a short pause, “I don't know what they told you, but I am afraid I must seem quite execrable to you."  
She seemed truly puzzled.  
"Right now, I don't know anymore. Honestly, I am truly confused. I did not expect anything like that. Having not been at the banquet, I did not know you and they did not tell me much about you, either. They just threatened to punish me if I was not to let you have your way with me."  
"How could they treat you like that? You do not seem a slave to me."  
“My mother was a slave, a war prisoner from Vanaheim, captured during a Jotun raid, until my father made her his wife, much to the indignation of his kin. After my parents' death, a cousin of my father took me in, albeit reluctantly, as to him, I was the living proof of my father’s misconduct. That is why my uncle had no qualms about suggesting me when Thrym requested a consort for the foreign king he had won as an ally.”  
“A consort.” Loki grinned wryly. “Is that how Thrym put it?”  
“Only in the request he had proclaimed, but there was no mention of a wedding, and when his men came for me, they called me _the whore of the Asgardian traitor_.”  
“What did you say?” Loki felt his body shiver with rage. “I see now! Those bastards! And they pretended to be my welcoming family! Thrym demanded the most beautiful woman of Asgard while cutting me off with a slave! He mocked me!”  
Angrboða’s look made him fall silent.  
“Oh, I am sorry!” he muttered.  
“I am not a slave”, she retorted. “My mother was – in the beginning, before my father gave her back her freedom. He really loved her, you see”, she explained upon his doubting look, “regardless of her being a war prisoner. Actually, she assimilated pretty fast and there was not as much resentment against her people back then. That only grew following Asgard’s aggression against the giants and the Vanir’s alliance with your people, so that, after my parents’ death, hard times began for me.”  
“I did not mean to offend you. This is not about you, but only about Thrym’s attitude.”  
He took a moment to somewhat regain his calm. Her presence was helpful, though, readily distracting him from his anger. After all, they shared their ancestry.  
“Vanaheim, then? That is where you got that song from, I heard you sing that night, isn’t it?”  
She nodded. “From my mother, yes. She sang it to me.”  
“Just like mine. I immediately recognised it. I always liked the sorrow in it.”  
“It dates from the time of war between Vanaheim and Asgard. It is about the loved ones lost in those battles.”  
“Yes.” He shook his head, laughing softly. “How strange! I would never have thought to talk about that song in Jotunheim of all places, with a giantess. Anyhow”, he looked at her, “it was good to speak with you, in every way. I could not have hoped for that when I met you two nights ago. However, it makes me angry that you had to endure so much because of me.”  
She looked at him in astonishment, but then she smiled. “It turned out well, in the end; at least, better than I could have hoped for.”  
“I am glad you see it that way. You are free to leave now, Angrboða.”  
She laughed bleakly. “Where to? Back to my uncle? He would probably beat me half-dead for not having carried out the king’s command.”  
“What are we to do then?”  
She looked at him, then surprised him with a smile. “Why, oblige them.”  
And with that, she drew him in her arms, pressing her lips on his in a fierce kiss that felt all but enforced. The next moment, she was against his body, fumbling with his clothing.  
“Asgardian rags…”, she scoffed.  
They sank on the bone bed that welcomed them with a low rattling and the room around them vanished like the rest of the Nine Realms to Loki’s mind as he lost himself in her embrace. Mjöllnir, Asgard’s throne, his anger about Thrym’s treatment, it all did not matter anymore. It seemed to him that the fire of their passion must melt down all of Jotunheim and turn it into fiery Muspellsheim.

***

“Ginnungagap’s depths! What is he doing so long?” Sif groaned, pacing impatiently between the door and one of the two beds in front of it. Thor in Freya's guise was sitting on the other. Both were of the same making as the one in Loki's room. Like this latter, the chambers to which the Jotuns had led Thor and Sif after Loki's leaving with the girl were sparsely furnished offering only a bench and low table apart from the beds. Although they had not locked the door, the giants had left little doubt that they wished their guests to stay there until they were summoned.  
"It puzzles me too" Thor consented. "I wonder if we should be worried."  
"About what? Actually, to me, nothing that has happened here so far has felt very comforting."  
"I don't know, but that is just part of my concern. There is still the matter of the Spirits, at least."  
"Oh yes, indeed, but I do not really see what this giantess has to do with it or how she even might present a danger to us. You have witnessed how she was treated. She is just some slave, a whore maybe."  
"I have never heard of giant whores", Thor said with a grin, "but I think you are right, although it seems strange to me that they would treat one of their own like that. Even Loki was visibly flustered by it. I was really surprised that he did not throw one of his tantrums about the Jotuns’ impudence, but apparently what he witnessed got his mind away from his anger and believe me, there is not much that can do that!"  
Sif shrugged. "I was not so shocked by it. They are Jotuns", she said with a grimace, "monsters."  
"Wolves are wild beasts and still they defend and care for each other."  
"Who knows what she did! Maybe they had a reason to punish her. Did you hear her name? Angrboða, the bringer of grief. It makes me shiver."  
"But they would not choose some outlaw or whore to give as a bride to a foreign king they want to ally with! That makes no sense at all! It would have to be a noble-born woman with at least a basic proficiency in governmental matters so she could advocate her people’s interests."  
“If giants had any notion of a functioning society, yes.”  
“Based on intrigues and plotting, you mean?” Thor scoffed. “To me, Thrym seems a capable enough ruler.”  
“Apart from his marriage politics.”  
Thor laughed. “If you are right, if this giantess is really a felon, I wonder if I should not be more afraid for Loki’s health than of the consequences of his encounter with her. Knowing what the Jotuns are capable of on the battlefield who can tell what their women are able to?”  
It had been meant as a joke, but Sif clearly heard a note of concern in Thor’s voice.  
“I am sure he will handle it. He has been through worse. However, thinking of his strange behaviour when the girl was brought to him, have you seen his eyes when he looked at her?”  
Thor shook his head with an interrogative air.  
“There was something in them I have never seen in Loki.”  
“Like what?”  
“I don’t know. Care? Affection? It truly struck me. I thought the only thing Loki has ever loved was power”, Sif said harshly. “All these years, I have only known him arrogant, haughty, mocking at best.”  
“You do him wrong. It might be rare enough but he can be truly endearing in his own special way.”  
“Well, I must have been absent on such occasions.”  
“We just have to wait”, Thor said equably. “What else can we do? He will return sooner or later.”  
Sif gave him a sullen glance, but then she shrugged and sat down beside him on the bed, contemplating it.  
“Why, that is hideous! This whole place is just dreadful. I really hope I live to see Asgard again!”  
“Me too, but in the meantime, some food would suffice to content me. Stars, I am starving!”  
“You should have taken Volstagg’s kind offer back in Asgard!”  
“Yes, I regret it now, but I could not have eaten anything then. However, my hunger has returned all the stronger.”  
“They will serve something at the feast, I assume.”  
“There is so much time left until then!”  
“Well, let’s hope that Loki returns soon to distract you! He might even conjure something up”, she added with a smile.


	8. Chapter 8

“You put yourself into great danger.”  
Loki started. He had thought Angrboða asleep.  
“What are you talking about?”  
“About your plan.”  
She sat up and looked at him.  
“You are not here for a wedding, at least not truly. It is just a deception; you want something else, something that has been taken from you.”  
He stared at her, his eyes narrowed by suspicion.  
“How do you know this?”  
“You are not the only one with certain powers here.”  
“You know magic?”  
Angrboða laughed lightly. “Why shouldn’t I? Only because I am a giant? We also use sorcery.”  
“Yes, but giant sorcery is rather showy, not arcane as yours. I did not even notice your probing.”  
Another laugh, but it was friendly. “Maybe you were just too preoccupied with other things. As I told you, my mother was a Vanr. She taught me as did your mother to you”, Angrboða said stopping at Loki’s painful look. “She is dead, isn’t she? I am sorry.”  
“Frigga was not my mother.”  
“Yes, she was! I can feel her spirit in you. It lingers. There are many ways of being a mother. You may not have grown in her womb, but she took you in her heart.”  
He shrugged, “Whatever”, not wanting to talk about Frigga now.  
“You need help”, Angrboða insisted, “an ally. Thrym is not well-disposed towards you even without knowing about your true intentions. With my powers, I saw it in the way he looked at you. Maybe I might be useful in other ways as well.”  
Loki did not reply, considering what she had said. Some sorcerous support would be opportune indeed. However, it all seemed too convenient. Wasn’t it just a strange coincidence that the very girl Thrym had chosen to deride Loki was to help him defeat the giant king?  
His distrust flared up again. What if she was a spy sent by Thrym to sound him out about his true intentions? He cursed himself for his naivety. He had neglected all prudence, falling for a girl like some lovelorn boy, and for a Frost Giantess at that.”  
He stood up, grabbing his clothes and throwing them on in a hurry.  
“No”, he snapped, “I don’t know what you are talking about. I do not need your help. Others need my presence, though. I have been away from my retainers for too long!”  
And with that, he swept out of the room angrily without looking back.  
Outside, the corridor was silent and deserted.  
He stood a moment, thinking about what to do. Before all, he had to find Thor and the others as soon as possible. If Angrboða had indeed been spying for Thrym, the Jotun king would know of Loki's true intentions shortly, however much she might have found out. If, in turn, she had been honest, Thrym's uncovered abhorrence for the one he took for Asgard's king made it unlikely he truly intended to give Mjöllnir back. Instead, he was probably planning to kill the hated Asgardians as soon as he got the Spirits of Winter. Either way, Loki had to warn his companions. They had to make a good plan if they were to get out of this adventure safe and sound.  
Certainly, the others had been assigned a room by now, but he did not know where. This was another mistake he cursed himself for. What had taken him?  
Involuntarily, his mind wandered back to his encounter with Angrboða, and he felt his blood begin to rush and a shiver of excitement run through his body. Spy or not, he could not help wishing to meet her again. He might have a high price to pay if his concerns proved right, but the pleasure he had felt was worth it, and, at least, he knew now that he had not been wrong about Thrym’s lack of sincerity, even if he had not suspected the giant’s malevolence to go so far. Hoping for his help in winning Asgard’s throne would be to delude himself. This time, he was better off joining forces with Thor once more if only to make it out alive. Anything else would have to wait. Loki smiled to himself at the thought that of all beings it was in fact a Jotun girl that had made him take the side of the Aesir in this battle, even though inadvertently.  
He looked down the corridor in both directions and randomly decided to take the left aisle. Following the way, he thought about returning to his chambers and taking Angrboða with him so as to hinder her from telling Thrym what she had discovered. However, he dismissed the idea and instead, sent out a sorcerous tendril to the room probing for her presence. It was with a certain surprise and even more relief that he found her still in there.  
A faint hope grew in him that she had indeed not been lying. He wanted so much to believe it. Her passion had felt so true, after all. Could something like that be feigned? She was a sorceress, for sure, but he was proficient in magic as well and yet had been overwhelmed by his feelings for her. He could not tell why, but he was sure the same had happened to her.  
He drew his mind away from her again and let it wander down the corridor in front of him in search of Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three. Fortunately, it did not take long until he sensed Thor’s and Sif’s presence behind a door a few steps ahead and shortly after, that of the other three in the adjacent room.  
He hastened his pace and reaching the door in question, tried the handle. Finding it unlocked, he peered inside the room and was relieved to discover Thor and Sif safe and well sitting side by side on one of the beds.  
Both leapt to their feet.  
“Loki! Finally!”  
“Quiet!” he hushed their outburst with a stern look, quickly entering the room and closing the door behind him.  
“What have you been doing so long?” Sif assailed him at a more modest volume.  
Thor, in turn, smirked.  
“So, what was it like with her, then?”  
“There is nothing to tell you”, Loki put him off.  
“Are you really going to marry her?” Sif wondered. Her tone made it plain what she thought not only about such an alliance but also about Angrboða.  
Loki hesitated, searching for the right thing to say afraid he might inadvertently run Angrboða further down in seeking to downplay the whole issue. “I…”  
“I ask myself what Thrym is thinking”, Thor interrupted him indignantly. “He cannot be serious about his choice! Even if he did not take you for the king of Asgard, this wench is hardly the right woman for a prince of Asgard!”  
“Oh”, Loki scoffed, “all of a sudden you have taken me back in your noble family? Do not speak of her like that! She is neither whore nor slave.”  
“So, you _have_ come to know her better, after all!”  
Loki shrugged.  
“So shy of an answer? Should my brainy brother have lost his spiritual supremacy over a Jotun girl?”  
“Spare me your mockery, Thor!”  
“Oh, I am sorry, but, you see, I got enough contempt from you to last for a lifetime, so don’t begrudge me this little retribution.”  
“Well, you had it. Right now, there are more important matters to worry about.”  
“True”, Sif consented. "You owe us an explanation concerning Thrym's remark about the Spirits."  
"Ah, yes, that! But there are other things as well. Indeed", Loki shot Thor a reproaching look, "I did not waste the time I was away. We should bring in Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun, though. Am I right that they are next door?” he asked rather rhetorically.  
"I suppose so, if they have not been taken by some cantankerous Jotun", Thor jested, earning himself a scowl from Sif.  
Loki, in turn, was already on his way to the door.  
"I think it is safe to fetch them", he said slipping into the empty corridor.  
A moment later, he returned with the three warriors that settled on the second bed while Loki kept standing beside the door.  
"So are we to get our answers now?" Fandral challenged him.  
“Depends on your questions, but, yes, I am going to post you up now. First, to dispel your concerns about a betrayal on my part: indeed, I did not just promise Freya to Thrym, but also the Spirits of Winters.”  
“Oh, and it keeps getting even better!” Fandral jeered.  
“I had no choice! I made no secret of my plan to offer Thrym a faked alliance against Asgard’s dominance to win his trust. You should not be surprised that the Jotuns want the source of their power back.”  
“But you do not have the cube”, Sif wondered.  
“Of course not! Do you think Odin would have let me take it with me? But that could be a problem, indeed. I will have to conjure it. At least, I hope I will be able to do so. It will not be easy, though.”  
“Why?”  
“It emits a special force that I will have to simulate lest they notice the deceit. However, at the feast, I may not be able to focus all my power on it when I have to converse with people or do other things. Also, I do not know for how long I can bear the effort. I have felt the force when I touched the casket. It is very strong.”  
“Can you even conjure something like that?” Thor asked.  
Loki looked at him defiantly. “Well, yes, but not for long or it will kill me.”  
“We had that already”, Sif snorted.  
“I am entirely sincere this time.”  
“We have to keep it short then”, Thor said.  
“And make sure you get your hammer soon”, Loki added, then fell silent as a thought came to his mind. “I might find some help, though.”  
“What else is there you wanted to tell us?” Thor went on.  
“It is about Thrym. I have learnt some details about him that have dispelled even the tiniest grain of sympathy I might ever have felt for him. I have no doubts he intends to kill us tonight. He did not trust me from the very beginning and tried to betray me.”  
“I must admit that I cannot blame him”, Volstagg said.  
Loki gave him a vexed look.  
“Who told you that?” Thor inquired. “Your girl?”  
“Does it make a difference?”  
“Well, I prefer a trustworthy source.”  
“Don’t worry!” Loki calmed him, withholding that he was himself all but certain of Angrboða’s righteousness.  
“But what are we to do then?” Hogun asked. “What does that all change about our plan?”  
“Well, nothing really. Even if Thrym might not want to give Mjöllnir back, he will have no choice. That is where the Spirits of Winter come in. I will insist that he bring the hammer before I produce the casket. So he will not be able to keep it away from us. You see, it was no bad thing to promise him the casket after all. Still, we have to be wary and prepare for the worst.”  
“Nothing new, thus”, Sif taunted.  
"Let's look forward to a merry wedding feast, then!" Thor jested.


	9. Chapter 9

Thrym had spared neither efforts nor expenses to make his wedding feast as splendid as possible. The rich adornment of the hall that would have held at least three of the one in which the previous banquet had taken place and the abundance and especially variety of foods and drinks that burdened the large tables were more than fit for the mighty king that Thrym wanted to appear as to his guests. And there were lots of guests. While in many a way, the event did not differ so much from Asgardian celebrations, this was a striking difference as the Aesir preferred to keep to themselves, deeming only few beings of the Nine Realms worthy of their noble company. Thrym, in turn, had invited representatives of half the known world to pay their respects although the ill-reputed species clearly predominated, ranging from Storm and Rock Giants, Wood Elves, Trolls and Dwarfs to a pair of the reclusive Bog Ghouls.  
Loki looked around uneasily, half-expecting to discover some unwelcome acquaintance that might blow his cover knowing that Asgard was still ruled by Odin. At least, there were neither Dark Elves nor Chitauri, but in a corner, he spotted the dwarf Brokkr with whom he had had a very unpleasant encounter when, half a boy yet, he had made a bet with him and his brother that he could surpass them in the art of forging. Young, overbold and, most ominously, ignorant of the unrivalled mastery of the two dwarfs, he had wagered his head not believing that Brokkr would take the whole matter seriously. However, he had done just that when Loki lost, and it had needed all his cunning to squirm himself out of this predicament. In the end, Brokkr had sewn Loki’s mouth with a silver thread to, as he put it, teach his loose tongue a lesson. It had taken Asgard’s most skilled healers to repair the damage, but Odin’s rebuke in front of the full council had been even worse. Remembering the pain, both physical and mental, still made Loki grimace.  
However, the many potential risks could not lessen his confidence that, for all his evil intentions, Thrym had no suspicions about his bride’s true identity. Otherwise, he would not have indulged into such extravagance.  
And then, of course, there was Loki’s new ally. Returning to his chambers after the reunion with his companions, he had still not been sure whether it was a good idea to ask for Angrboða’s help, but he saw no better option. Only when he found her still in his room upon his arrival had he really given in to his hope that she was sincere.  
It was still just a hope, though.  
The arrival of the bride made the hall fall silent abruptly as everyone stared at Freya in her spectacular dress of pale blue silks perfectly matching the icy hues of the hall that Loki had conjured for Thor before leaving him and the others.  
The stunned silence was broken by the enthusiastic cheers of the onlookers peppered by coarse comments that should have made any honourable Ásynja blush. However, no one expected such a thing of Freya, so that Thor's modest acting talent was not further noticed.  
Thrym hushed them anyway, though, rather amused than outraged, and then got up, went to his betrothed and led her to her place by his side, taking her hand in his own that he had carefully wrapped in a glove so as not to harm her delicate skin with his frosty grip. Loki wondered how he intended to handle that point when consummating his marriage, but hopefully, they would not have to find out, anyway.  
Behind Freya came Angrboða and although in her much less imposing Jotun garb, she was almost overlooked by most of the guests, Loki could not have imagined anyone more ravishing.  
He stood up in turn to fetch his bride, greeting her with a kiss.  
“In that short time we have been parted, I already missed you sorely, my dear little icicle”, he whispered in her ear.  
Smiling, she followed him to the table where the other attendees were already impatient to go for the plenty of delicacies awaiting them. There was even bread, cakes and some fruit that must either have been robbed on Thrym’s behalf or been brought by some of the guests to win the favour of the giant king. Loki suspected the latter, considering the large gang of Shadow Elves that occupied one of the neighbouring tables all by themselves. They were the master thieves of the Nine Realms and would thus, in turn, have stolen the treats from some other people, probably humans. Everyone knew what easy prey Midgard’s inhabitants were for the scum of the Universe except for themselves who kept foolishly denying everything they could not explain by their pathetic knowledge they called science.  
For all their savagery, Thrym’s guests still had the grace to wait for the royal couple and the guest of honour from Asgard to select their food before helping themselves.  
Seated on Thrym’s left, Loki saw him offer his bride a dish copiously filled with choice fish and meat, and his heart skipped a beat as he witnessed Thor heap up his platter with an amount even a giant could hardly scoff. Of course, Loki was aware of his heavily muscled brother’s racing expenditure and the ensuing constant need for sustenance, but for once, Thor could have made an effort to restrain himself.  
Already, everyone sitting close by was giving him bewildered looks, while Thor, completely oblivious to the stares, added half the cake standing before him to his dish as well.  
Thrym’s face was a mixture of amazement and amusement.  
“Now, there’s a girl with a healthy appetite!”  
Smiling, Thor shoved a double piece of the cake in his mouth.  
“I wonder how you keep your shape eating like you do”, Thrym said.  
“Oh, but that is not her normal way”, Loki intervened. “She was just so nervous to know her husband she did not eat the smallest bit since I brought her your proposal.”  
“Is that so? Well, I hope her hunger is not confined to food. Indeed, I think we could speed things up a bit. I suggest we officiate the wedding now”, Thrym said, sounding rather imperative than suggestive. He turned to two of his attendants sitting at the next table. “Bring the hammer!”  
Both leapt to their feet and vanished.  
Thrym looked at Loki. “And now, I would also like to have my gift from you, the dowry of my bride.”  
“Certainly. You shall have it as soon as the hammer is set before me.”  
As if on cue, the two thugs returned, dragging a large open cart behind them on which Mjöllnir was lying.  
Loki gathered his power concentrating on the form and the force of the Spirits of Winter and suddenly, there was a second magic joining his own: Angrboða, her sorcery interweaving with his. He felt the casket materialise against the skin of his breast, the force breaking forth from it. Reaching between the folds of his cloak, he produced a perfect likeness of the artefact holding the power of Jotunheim.  
For quite a while, Thrym stared at its blue glow, like mesmerised. Despite Angrboða’s comforting support, Loki sensed the energy flow steadily from his body, draining him, already beginning to weaken him. He would not be able to keep it up much longer. Finally, Thrym got up, went to the cart and lifted the hammer from the load bed. He returned with it to his bride.  
“I admit to some misgivings about laying my gift in your lap, my beloved, as the custom demands. I would be loath to break my lovely wife’s tender bones.”  
“Oh, no! Don’t worry! Go on!” Loki gasped under the effort, earning himself a questioning look from Thrym.  
The giant turned back to Freya, though, setting to place Mjöllnir in her lap, but he did not finish the movement. In perfect unison, Loki and Angrboða let the flow of their power collapse and the casket projection dwindled to a flicker before disappearing entirely.  
It was high time. Loki could not have borne the effort any longer and he saw his exhaustion mirrored in Angrboða’s face. He hoped he had enough energy left for the outstanding shifting. All of a sudden, Thor’s humorous doubt about Loki’s ability to turn him back seemed not so unfounded anymore.  
Taking advantage of the stupor that had fallen over everyone around after the unexpected vanishing of the casket, he gathered every last bit of his power he could perceive and let it flow towards Freya, when, to his surprise, he felt again the sorcerous support from Angrboða. He gave her a grateful smile, while watching Freya's form ripple and blur. The next moment, it was Thor standing beside Thrym, in his full armour and with a fierce look on his face. He reached for the hammer that was still being held over his lap, and sent a heavy blow on the Jotun king.  
Seeing the giant's head burst, his massive body tumbling backwards, and hearing the crack of his spine breaking, Loki could not help cheering inwardly. At the same time, it was strange to see the man he had for so long taken for his brother kill the one Loki was actually tied to by blood. However, Thrym’s scorn and betrayal had dispelled any positive feelings Loki might ever have had for him.  
With Thrym’s death, chaos broke loose among the wedding guests, many reaching for the weapons they had not been willing to part with for the feast, those of less belligerent species running for cover. As little sympathy they might have felt for the Aesir, none of the invited warriors had much reason to take the side of their hosts either. So, they just stood watching, leaving it to the giants to defend themselves. Thor and the others knew better than to incur their hostility, confining themselves to the Jotuns who kept them busy enough.  
Thor was hard-pressed, thrashing giant after giant, putting them down in a row with Mjöllnir, only to be assailed by an even larger number.  
Sif, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg had also drawn their swords and axe they had carefully hidden beneath their clothes. Kicking off her shoes, Sif tore away her dress, revealing a pair of leggings and a waistcoat of boiled leather she had been wearing underneath. Ignoring Fandral's disappointed pout, she thrust her sword in the breast of the giant coming for her making him topple. He was immediately replaced by two of his companions, though.  
Having not yet regained his full power, Loki was standing a little apart, among a group of Shadow Elves too afraid to present any danger to him. He took a couple of deep breaths to speed up his recovery and sent a flash of power to one of Sif's adversaries, knocking him straight to the ground, while she dealt with the other. His strength returning steadily, he set to join the battle, only to stop shortly and, on a sudden cheerful whim, channel off a small bit of sorcery to restore the rest of Sif’s armour. After all, she was no use to him impaled by a Jotun ice spear, and her stunned look was worth it anyway. Turning his way, she stared at him, surprised, and then nodded her appreciation.  
When Loki reached the others, the fighting around them had notably gained in intensity, and by now, it no longer involved just the Frost Giants. With battle rage taking hold of them, the more belligerent guests of the wedding had begun to turn on the next best whose face they did not like or who was in their way. Soon, everyone was fighting against each other. Although those surrounding them were mostly villains by Asgardian rules, Thor and his friends acted rather defensively, restricting their clashes to the necessary. Especially Thor showed an unusual extent of moderation as Loki had to admit.  
His support was still welcome when he added his dagger and sorcery to his companions’ weapons, and he was accompanied by Angrboða and her own magic bolts that she dashed on the giants with surprising fervour making Loki wonder at the hatred in her.  
He could relate to it, for certain, but at the same time, with every Jotun he slew there was a small voice in his head.  
 _Asgardian traitor_.  
While he had no qualms about acting against his kin, it was the thought of being linked to the Aesir in that way that bothered him. He still was not sure whether he felt as one of them.  
The Jotuns did not make any difference between them, however, and while their freezing touch did not harm him, the same could not be said of their ice spears and flint swords. When one of the latter pierced his upper arm it hurt him no less than any other blade. Crying out in pain and rage, he thrust his own dagger into the aggressor’s throat killing him and the one coming after him as well, before he was given a short respite to look after the wound. Relieved, he saw the cut already beginning to close between the bloody fringes of his tunic. Sending a tendril of power under his skin, he made sure that no large blood vessel had been torn apart, before he turned back to the battle.  
Somewhere behind him, he heard Volstagg roar in pain, and a few steps ahead, Fandral was fighting, his handsome face marred by frostbite on his left cheek. It was a superficial wound that would heal well enough, as were Loki’s own, but with more and more Jotuns coming for them, they could not prevail much longer.  
The others were only too aware of it too.  
“We have to leave!” Hogun called out as if he had been reading Loki’s thoughts.  
Thor immediately took the lead, thrashing a way towards the exit through the giant ranks, while Loki assumed the rear guard holding their pursuers at bay. He had to fight hard to keep up with his companions.  
A call made him stop.  
“Loki! Don’t leave me!”  
He turned, looking in Angrboða’s desperate face, and realised that he had not thought about what she would become once they reached their goal. In fact, the outcome had not been so obvious for him altogether, making it difficult to plan ahead. Now, however, he saw only one solution.  
He reached out to her.  
“Come! Come with me!”  
She stared at him, incredulous. “To Asgard?”  
“Why not? I am sure you will like it.”  
“But the people there will not like _me_.”  
“You saved them. Some gratitude is more than appropriate.”  
It was a lie, of course. He knew full well that she was correct, but right now there was no time to think of alternatives. After all, anything that might await Angrboða in Asgard was preferable to being left at the giants’ mercy. Loki could only hope that she would be admitted to Asgard in the first place, but they had to try.  
The angry Jotun mob coming up after them made the decision easy, anyway. They turned and set off as fast as they could.


	10. Chapter 10

Thor, Sif and the Three slowed their run, having covered a good distance from Gryttrheim.  
“Heimdall, get us back!” Thor called, only to discover the portal already forming in the sky over their heads when he looked up. Lowering his eyes to his comrades again, he started.  
“Where is Loki?”  
All turned, looking back at the giant fortress.  
“There he comes”, Hogun said, frowning at what he saw.  
“What is he…?” Volstagg muttered.  
The portal of the Bifröst was almost completely established, when Loki closed up to his companions. Thor stepped forward, barring his brother’s way.  
“What is she doing here?”  
“Why, what does it look like? Coming with me, of course.”  
“You want to take her to Asgard? This…this….”  
“This Jotun slut, you mean? Yes, I will!”  
“I wasn’t about to call her that!” Thor protested. “Truly, brother, I have nothing against her, but I am not sure what the rest of Asgard will think of her.  
“She is my wife.”  
“And I am Thrym’s wife. Honestly, brother...”  
Loki was at his throat. “Don’t you mock me!” he burst out. “I will not leave without Angrboða!”  
Thor stared at him, undecided, while behind them the stream of air from the Bifröst’s channel was tugging at their cloaks.  
“Hurry!” Sif urged as across the frozen plain an impressing army of giants was running towards them.  
With a sigh, Thor stepped aside, letting Loki and Angrboða enter the portal before taking his own turn. The Bifröst closed behind them and all six were drawn in its wake.

The thick foliage of the berry-laden vine overhead was rustling under the attack of a flock of birds, pitching into the sweet fruits and filing the air with their warbling. To her right, a snake was wriggling through the branches under the languid gaze of a gaudy lizard.  
Enthralled by the green opulence around her, Angrboða startled when a pair of arms slid around her waist and a kiss was placed on the nape of her neck.  
“Beware, my love! You are in the den of a trickster, now”, Loki teased her with an impish grin. „Are you ready?“  
She turned to face him. “Honestly? No. I don’t know whether it is a good idea that I accompany you. It might be better to wait until the temper against the Jotuns has cooled down to make my appearance.”  
“Don’t fret, beloved! I can think of no better moment to present the one who has so decisively contributed to our victory over the giants. You cannot hide forever, anyway.”  
She looked back at the dense grove with its thick canopy, the tangle of roots and stems that filled the yard around her. It was just one small part of the richly planted maze of courts teeming with strange creatures that had given Loki’s residence its name: Galdsviδrinnshallir.  
“I felt safe here from the moment I entered your abode”, she sighed. “It is so beautiful.”  
“I am glad you like it. These trees and plants are from all over the Nine Worlds. I have been exploring them for a long time now and from every travel I brought saplings and seeds back with me.”  
“My mother told me of her native lands, full of forests, and she conjured pictures of it that looked just like this one. I always wanted to go there.”  
Loki smiled. “So maybe my Vanr legacy has inspired me to this place. There is much more to see for you later, but now I am afraid we have to go. We should not let the Allfather wait. It will not be long, I hope.”  
Taking a step back, he let his eyes wander over her.  
“You look charming. They will like you well enough.”  
Having replaced her Jotun clothing for a dress of shimmering dark blue silk more conform to the Aesir’s concept of decency, she could indeed have passed for an Asynja if not for her bluish skin and the reddish glow of her eyes, but hopefully no one would be irked by that. With time, Asgard’s aura would possibly evoke her Vanr heritage.  
She smiled wryly and, with a last yearning glance at the grove, followed him to the exit.

Gladsheim’s great throne hall was crowded with people, impatient to welcome the mighty Thor and his valiant companions back from their successful expedition.  
Loud cheers and enthusiastic acclaim greeted the six warriors walking through a long lane of spectators to the Allfather’s High Seat.  
As apart from minor cuts and bruises, none of them had been injured, they had immediately followed Odin’s summons that had reached them shortly after their return.  
A few steps from his father’s dais, Thor was intercepted by a beaming Freya who drew him into her arms, giving him a fierce hug. After that, she turned to Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun to favour them with the same expression of her gratitude. Even Sif got an embrace from her. Only Loki was ostentatiously ignored by her. There had been times, when such ignoble treatment would have aroused his anger, now it just magnified his contempt for her, and the despising look Odin gave her felt strangely comforting.  
The Allfather stood and the six stopped in front of the dais saluting their king.  
"Thor", Odin addressed his son, "once more I acknowledge your great commitment to keep Asgard and its inhabitants safe. Again you have shunned no risks to avert a great threat to our realm. You have not even shied from putting your pride aside. For that you have all Asgard's gratitude. However", he turned to Loki standing at his brother's side, "this time, part - the greatest part that is - of the credits goes to another.  
A long time ago as it seems to me now, I found an abandoned child and my heart took pity on him. I gave him a home among my family. However, my plans went further. I also had a hope that this child might bring peace to the Nine Worlds, being of a race my people had been at war with. My hopes were belied, though. I came to regret my mercy as the man the child had grown-up into not only turned against me but brought chaos, destruction and death over those I had sworn to protect. He seemed lost to me and although I granted him a chance to redeem himself, I was not very confident. Our beloved Frigga was the only one who never lost her faith in you and she was right. I have been disabused. After your contribution to the victory over Malekith, you have now given me another proof of your loyalty, Loki, a proof that you deserved your mother’s love and trust. I would hence not only welcome you back among the highborn of Asgard but also among my family, as my son and brother to the one sharing my blood”, he looked at Thor, “that is, if he consents.”  
Thor seemed surprised for a moment, then he turned to Loki.  
“I do, from the bottom of my heart. These past two years, while I had forced myself to accept that my brother was lost to me for good, every single of your evil deeds only augmented my grief for the one I had known. Today, however, my beloved brother has finally come back and I thank the Norns for that gift. I hope you will not leave my side again, brother. As little enthusiastic I am to take the throne, I cannot deny my heritage for ever, but then I will need your wits and cunning to counsel me. We can better rule this kingdom together, don’t you agree?”  
Loki looked at him speechless. He had not expected this. Never before had he come so close to feeling at home. Still, there was a small warning voice in his head that made him hesitate. But he dismissed it with a burgeoning hope that he had indeed been wrong about his suspicions, that his obsession with his outrage had made him blind for the truth.  
For all his usual eloquence, he took a few moments to find a reply.  
“I…thank you for your magnanimity. Only now do I see what I was about to lose forever. I am honoured to accept your great offer, my brother.”  
In front of the cheering spectators and under Odin’s approving look, Thor embraced him. For once, the Allfather’s presence did not feel oppressive.  
Loki and Thor turned to face the crowd and Loki met Angrboða’s eyes full of love and pride. It occurred to him that he had yet to introduce her to Odin and his household.  
He turned to the High Seat. The Allfather’s look had followed his, now resting on Angrboða, and all the warmth vanished from it.  
“Who is she?”  
Suddenly, everyone was staring at the young giant, aghast, and Loki was overcome by doubts whether he had been too confident of the Aesirs’ reception of her.  
Taking Angrboða’s hand, he led her closer to the dais.  
“Allfather, let me introduce you to Angrboða,…my wife. Without her help, our mission would hardly have been successful. I call on you to welcome her among us!”  
Odin’s lone eye wandered over her, probing, his look inscrutable as always, at least on the surface. In its depth, however, Loki discovered something else, something he had never seen in the Allfather: a hint of dread. It sent a shiver down his spine.  
All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the hall changed, as if covered by a dark cloud.  
After a seemingly endless while, the Allfather nodded reluctantly.  
“She may stay”, he said tonelessly.  
Then, he turned without any further word and left the hall in what almost seemed like a flight to Loki. Confused, he stared after him, before he turned to Angrboða with a sigh and gave her an encouraging smile. Side by side, they set off for Galdsviδrinnshallir. Passing between the onlookers, Loki met their hostile faces, wiping away the last remainder of his feeling at home. He had no doubts that Thor had been sincere, but to think that this could win him the acceptance of all the others would be to delude himself.  
 _Well, apparently, I will be in for some fighting as usual, but in the end, I will prevail. After all, I always have_.


	11. Epilogue

A thin mist slowly drifted from the well up to the mighty roots of Yggdrasil spreading over it like a protective vault. On the water, two snow-white swans were paddling.  
The three women sitting cross-legged around the well were gazing into the waters, oblivious to the two score of maidens surrounding them that were, however, perfectly immobile themselves, waiting for their mistresses’ commands.  
The first of the three was a girl barely grown out of childhood, the second in her prime, while the third had clearly passed her life's zenith, Skuld, Verdandi and Urd, the most powerful of the Norns, the Mistresses of Destiny, in whose hands lay the fate of the Universe.  
Pointing at a reflection in the water of the Well of Fate, the crone spoke up:  
"It is done. The seed of Destiny is sown and taking root already. Three children were begotten, from Jotun and Vanr blood and yet so different from their parents.”  
“Born of great love but the bringers of death and destruction when the World as it is known will end”, the younger woman added.  
“A wolf to devour those that shall no longer be, a worm to strangle the earth and make the seas rage, and a mistress of the deceased to raise an army of the dead”, the girl said.  
“And so, the one who was stolen from us has answered our purposes all the same.”  
“Aye, one was taken, three are given back, threefold are we indemnified.”  
“It is not long anymore, my sisters. An age will end and a new is to come. The old order will be abolished.”  
Their words echoed above the well, sending an icy breeze through the Nine Worlds.


End file.
